Through a FOIA request to the Kentucky Racing Commission, I have confirmed the following kills at that state’s tracks thus far this year (this is part 1, part 2 tomorrow). Please note that practically every horse below died with stomach ulceration.
I’m Free, Jan 5, Churchill T
“Horse was breezing and [suffered] an open, comminuted fracture and [multiple] torn ligaments.” I’m Free was two years old.
yet-to-be-named 2-year-old, Jan 13, HighPointe Training Center S
“External protrusion of small intestine during castration.” Two years old.
Dove At Dawn, Jan 30, Turfway T
“Horse was breezing when it suffered a catastrophic injury to LH limb: open, comminuted condylar fracture, with multiple missing fragments; additional fractures of the sesamoid and phalanx; deep digital flexor frayed; tearing of the suspensory ligament, with small bone fragments embedded.” Also: previous fracture/surgery/screw in a different leg. Dove was just two years old.
Izzit Midnight, Feb 2, Keeneland T
“[Horse] was breezing when it abruptly pulled up lame: comminuted fracture; tearing of the superficial and deep digital flexors; rupture of the intersesamoidian ligament; tearing of the suspensory ligament, collateral ligaments of the fetlock, and the straight, oblique, and cruciate sesamoidian ligaments.” Izzit was two years old.
Dreamers Luck, Feb 20, Churchill T
“Horse was breezing when it sustained a complete, comminuted fracture to LH limb. After loading on ambulance, horse became recumbent and was euthanized.” Dreamers, also, was just two years old.
yet-to-be-named 2-year-old, Feb 22, Turfway T
“Horse was galloping and stumbled. Rider pulled the horse up and horse was non-weight bearing: complete, displaced fracture of the humerus.” Again, just two years old.
Malibu Time, Mar 27, Turfway R (euth Mar 28)
“Patient developed acute, severe lameness in evening following race: complete, comminuted, displaced fracture; extensive soft tissue damage [that] includes tearing of the deep and superficial digital flexor tendons, rupture of the intersesamoidian ligament, and tearing of the suspensory ligament, the medial and lateral branches of the suspensory, the medial and lateral collateral ligaments, and the oblique and straight sesamoidian ligaments.” Malibu was five years old.
Dram Fast, Apr 5, Keeneland T
“Mare was working when she stumbled and fell: complete, comminuted, displaced fracture; tearing of muscles; large amount of hemorrhage.” Dram was six years old.
Joyflwariorprincss, Apr 5, Turfway T (euth May 7)
“Chronic septic hock from previous laceration which resulted in laminitis in all four limbs. Laminitis [included] lamina detachment, rotation, and [in one leg] prolapse through the sole.” The necropsy report went on to say: “The filly is emaciated, weighing 390 kg, with scant visceral fat stores, light muscling, marked prominence of the axial skeleton, and pressure sores over the shoulders, elbows, tuber coxa, femurs, and stifles.” Oh how this poor girl, just three, suffered.
February Son, Apr 19, Keeneland R
“Horse appeared to lose its action in its hind end, collapsed, and slid through the safety rail. On exam, the horse was motionless, with an open [through skin], comminuted radius fracture. The horse never appeared to be conscious.” February was six years old.
Coltonator, Apr 21, Keeneland T
“Horse was training when the saddle slipped and the stirrup broke. The saddle was displaced causing significant [damage] to [three limbs]: torn fragments of the tendon sheath visible; flexor retinaculum torn; tearing and hemorrhage within the deep digital flexor tendon; severe tearing and fraying of the superficial flexor tendon; near complete severing of the SDF.” Coltonator was eight years old.
Hercules, Jun 7, Churchill R
“Horse pulled up with catastrophic injury to RF fetlock: [multiple] comminuted fractures; tearing of the superficial and deep digital tendons, the medial and lateral collateral ligaments of the fetlock, the medial and lateral branches of the suspensory, and the straight and oblique sesamoidian ligaments; rupture of the intersesamoidian ligament.” Hercules was six years old.
Cash Only, Jun 16, Churchill T
“Horse was galloping when the rider felt the horse go bad: markedly comminuted, biarticular fracture of the second phalanx.” Cash was three years old.
The Jockey Club is pro-slaughter, the American Quarter Horse Association is pro-slaughter and the rodeo stock contractors are pro-slaughter. I think the majority of the horseracing industry stakeholders are pro-slaughter.
This alone should be a huge sign to people of average intelligence that racing horses is not safe for the horses.
Everything you wrote Wanda is the truth! We have galloped horses in the am with saddle stitches so worn it was a wonder the stirrup leathers did not fail & we ended up galloping bareback! Most of these lower level class II or III class tracks we rode at were strictly on a power & control type of people. Can`t stand Larry! From what we understand he is not against slaughter of horses. We have been at a very prominent Thoroughbred breeder here in the NW when the large truck & trailer showed up to haul the poor horses where we all knew they were going.
What the world needs is reminders from those who considered all forms of life sacred and entitled to legal protection from all forms of evil. Here is a quote that needs to be sent to all Racing Secretaries across the globe:
I used to suffer particularly because the poor animals must endure so much pain and want. The sight of an old, limping horse being dragged along by one man while another man struck him with
a stick he was being driven to the Colmar slaughterhouse – haunted me for weeks. Albert Schweitzer
What would Schweitzer have said to the criminals that are so respected in horse racing circles these days and yet are in reality a disgrace to all of humanity. Men and women who deliberately murder horses with impunity and proclaim their love and allegiance to God. The race track chaplains need to be confronted for their ignorance of God’s Laws of Compassion and Sympathy for those in peril and distress. It is treason against God to wear His Cross and then go out of the paddock eager and ready to massacre the flesh of horses with their whips. If I lived in the states that conduct horse racing I would be at the entrance daily with my sentiments directed at the hypocrites who say they love Christ, but prove by their cooperation with evil-doers that they don’t know Christ, and they haven’t studied the road map to heaven which is the Bible – these people may fool the general public, but nobody fools God!
Is it possible to publish the names of these horses plus the not-yet-named BABY THOROUGHBREDS destroyed by this so-called “Sport of Kings” in the newspaper near the time of the Kentucky Derby?
I think it would be appropriate to publish everything you have posted above which would include the descriptions of the injuries they endured and suffered from!
It’s a well known fact that exploiting horses for racing and wagering handle is inherently abusive, brutal and cruel. That’s why there are charlatans posing as “great, wise and wonderful” doctors of veterinary medicine such as the “spokesperson of horseracing” Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Bramlage (who stands to gain a lot of money paid by millionaire owners) as Marie mentioned.
Just because there are millionaires and/or billionaires spending hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions of dollars on one horse, let alone multiple horses in many cases, doesn’t make horseracing “safe” for the horses.
Just because a man with a title is willing to tell bare-faced lies about the literal abuse of very young Thoroughbred colts and fillies and say that it “encourages or promotes” healing to run them at a such a young age doesn’t make exploiting young and underdeveloped colts and fillies safe.
That is one of the most stupid things I have ever read that anyone could say.
The truth is these horses are born with the natural ability to heal from injuries that are not catastrophic or fatal.
Why do these people think it’s okay to cause even minor injuries to the horses? In a nutshell, they are putting money and “fame” over common sense and decency. Money is their god.
These are disgusting. And once again, I know I sound like a broken record, but the writer’s complete elimination of any reference to humans as the cause of these injuries and deaths: “The horse was galloping and stumbled…” “The mare was working and stumbled…” “Horse was training when the saddle slipped…” and on and on. It sounds like the horses were out there all alone. And poor, poor, Joyfl…she was a victim of long term neglect. Disgraceful.
Hmmmm. I thought Dr. Larry Bramlage was pushing the BS that it is better to start horses training and racing younger? Pro racing folks always trot out his crap studies to rationalize that.
I think this list is real- time proof of why his studies are really BS.
I wonder if his vet group did the surgery on Dove at Dawn, since he seems to be the go-to guy when racing folks’ horses are damaged by said training and racing. Who stands to make the most money on the destruction of those youngsters?? Keep lining the pockets of Dr. Bramlage, racing folks! The stupidity continues.